New Coffee Bar Opening In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — Known as Fairfield County’s passionate organic coffee roaster, Ed Freedman will add “café owner” to his portfolio when his new coffee bar opens in downtown Fairfield next month. A June opening is planned for Shearwater Coffee Bar in a 1,200-square foot corner location (1215 Post Road) within the Brick Walk business and retail section of downtown.

In addition to the coffee offerings, Shearwater Coffee Bar will feature pastries from Huckleberries Artisan Pastries and The Bee and the Bar gluten-free offerings, as well as artisan teas from Leaf & Ardor. A unique highlight for the coffee bar will be both Shearwater Running Rapids Cold Brew and Nitro Coffee on tap from a dedicated kegerator. (To sign up for Fairfield breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

A section of the coffee bar will be dedicated to a retail selection for the coffee enthusiast, including equipment, grinders, and French presses and a supply of their USDA Certified Organic and Fair-Trade coffee beans that can be purchased by the pound.

“We take our coffee very seriously, “Freedman said in a press release. “And now we’re infusing it with a fun and social atmosphere. It’s been a dream of mine to open a coffee bar and Fairfield is a great town to have my dream come to fruition.”

Read more about the Shearwater business from the press release below:

Named One of the 15 Best New Coffee Roasters in America by the popular digital lifestyle magazine Thrillist.com, and bestowed a 92 rating from CoffeeReview.com for their Organic Homacho Waeno Ethiopian roast, Shearwater introduced its small batch coffee roasts to Fairfield County in September of 2013 and was soon touted by java junkies, major gourmet food markets, and reputable area chefs as one of the leading coffee brands in the state.

Next month local coffee enthusiasts can have their Shearwater Coffee and eat it too when Shearwater Coffee Bar sets up shop in a modern industrial café designed by Ed’s daughter, Boston-based architect Amber Freedman. The space is wrapped in floor to ceiling windows, allowing for the natural sunlight to play off the clean, earthy tones throughout. Much of the coffee bar’s “décor” elements are in the raw ingredients and equipment that produce the highest quality coffee beverages, including the new the new Faema E71 espresso machine just launched in the USA. Ground to order, Shearwater baristas, all of which are highly trained, prepare pour-over coffee, lattes, and cappuccinos while consumers look on and are encouraged to interact with the baristas whose favorite topics include selecting a single-origin coffee and understanding roast profiles and precision brewing techniques.

At the Shearwater Coffee Bar helm is the talented Jason Varga. Jason honed his specialty coffee skills while working at such prestigious local coffee houses as Espresso Neat and Tusk & Cup Fine Coffee. Quality coffee and service are a priority for this outgoing manager and coffee enthusiast.

“The moment I decided coffee was going to be my career path was when I tasted an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe,” Jason said. “The blueberry flavor that was present changed my entire perception of what coffee could be.”

Shearwater Coffee Bar will feature savory and sweet pastries from Huckleberries Artisan Pastries and The Bee and the Bar gluten-free offerings, as well as artisan teas from Leaf & Ardor. A unique highlight will be both Shearwater Running Rapids Cold Brew and Nitro Coffee on tap from a dedicated kegerator.

A section of the coffee bar will be dedicated to a wide retail selection for the coffee enthusiast that would like to buy pour-over equipment, grinders, and French presses from top brands like Hario, Chemex, Baratza and Espro. And of course, Shearwater will have a ready supply of their USDA Certified Organic and Fair-Trade coffee beans that can be purchased by the pound.

“We take our coffee very seriously, “says Ed, “And now we’re infusing it with a fun and social atmosphere. It’s been a dream of mine to open a coffee bar and Fairfield is a great town to have my dream come to fruition.”

Contributed photos